2016

For those who remember their Latin - I'm sure there are many of us out there, right? -- the phrase gratia plena most immediately reminds us of its use in prayer, meaning "full of grace." At this time of year, I'm reminded that there is another meaning for the term which is "full of thankfulness or gratitude" -- it is this translation that inspired today's musings (or babbling for those not interested in anything other than the nice pictures below).
While I'll refrain from commenting on recent events, I do want to remind all -- no matter where your thoughts or ideas place you on the political spectrum that we are all fortunate in so many ways. From not having to think about where and how to obtain potable water on a daily basis to the ready access to food and shelter for all but a small percentage of our communities to the fact that we have freedoms and life options not available to many in the world, Americans have more than most for which to be truly grateful. Now, we can all dread having to spend holidays with that one (or two) relative(s) who just get under your ...

It certainly has been a while and we're overdue for a Web update -- hopefully all partners have been receiving the emails with photos and other news on a regular basis. We've got a mixed bag since our last update, some good, some not-so-good, but that's life and racing certainly reflects reality . . .so, on to the latest:
Crawfish Shorts - Pictured above on a rainy day in October at the Oklahoma track in Saratoga, our two year old Congaree colt continues his preparations for the races under the tutelage of our new trainer Tom Morley. The colt had a slight fever that set him back shortly after arriving at Tom's barn but as the photo above proves, he's looking and doing very well . . . .odd though it might seem, I'm particularly happy to see how much he enjoyed the slop -- small fields and not every horse's cup of tea while our horse likes it??? - I'm in! Anyway, the colt looks great and soon will be headed down to Belmont -- actually tomorrow is what I've just learned . . .last week's snow storm scared more than a few trainers out of Saratoga for the year! Our hope is that the colt ...

I thought it would be good to start with an "aw gee, isn't she pretty" moment to announce the birth of our new Shackleford - Strikealinethruit filly, born on February 26. We are pleased with how well this lovely, long-legged filly is doing and want to thank Michael and Cheryl for the care they are giving her and for allowing me to be there for the birth . . . by the way, there would have been really great photos of the step by step process of the birth but my camera was on manual mode and I can't see without glasses, so we have some very blurry images that won't mean a thing to anyone . . . oh well, we did get some good shots at other times, but you will have to scroll down to see those.
It has been some time since I updated the Web site, though partners have been getting regular updates on their horses. The good thing about not staying on top of the Web site is that there's a lot to report -- see?, starting out with a positive slant, not grousing about bad drivers, or people who talk loudly on their phone when on the train/in the ...